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How to Upcycle Jeans into Hippie Flares

I may have mentioned before that in September, my class and I are going to have a stall at the Cornucopia Festival in Burton Constable, Yorkshire. Having looked into the festival, I think it looks as though people like hippie style, and as we'll be selling upcycled clothes, I thought I'd make hippie style upcycled clothes.

Of course, the first thing that comes to mind is flared jeans, so that is what I made yesterday. I went to Dove House Hospice charity shop and bought: a pair of jeans, an XXXL men's shirt, a denim skirt, a colourful skirt ("as new"), and a halter top with some folk-style embellishments. Total: £12.55 including the carrier (they charge 5p for a carrier bag).

To get extra milage out of this project, I thought I'd do some tutorials on upcycling, so I took photos as I went along.

How to Upcycle Jeans into Flares

You will need a pair of jeans, some fabric (I used a skirt), thread, scissors, pins and a sewing machine.

Step 1

Decide how long you want your godets. This was decided for me by the length of the skirt up to the yoke, which I didn't want in the godet. Mark this length minus 2-3cm on the side seam on your jeans, using a pin.

We use 2-3cm because the godet has a 1cm or so seam allowance in it already, or you wouldn't be able to sew it to your jeans.

Step 2

Cut out your godet, including 1cm seam allowances.

Step 3

Unfold your godet and neaten it out.

Step 4

Using the first godet as a pattern, cut another one for the other leg.

Trim off any weird edges.

Step 5

Cut up the side seam on your jeans to the pin you used to mark earlier.

Step 6

Pin the godet in and sew. You will have to fiddle about at the top of the godet; just aim for a neat finish. Zig-zag or overlock/serge the raw edges. Turn them towards the godet and topstitch them to the godet.

Step 7

Turn the leg right-side out. Repeat all the steps for the other leg.

The front

The back with pocket flaps I took off the skirt.

And that is the first thing I have made for our stall at Cornucopia. I hope to see you there!